If you use Windows XP read on... Carrying on from the keyboard shortcuts topic last week I'd like to share another shortcut / feature that will save you bucketloads of time especially if you like to completely shut down your computer when you are finished using it. It is called Hibernate What's so good about the hibernation state you may ask. Well normally if you want to power down your computer you have to save your work and shut it down completely. Hibernation on the other hand allows you to power down your computer without saving your work first. So let's say for example you are writing a reply to a topic on GardenStew and you suddenly remember that you were supposed to meet someone for a coffee and you are LATE No time to finish the reply but you also wouldn't like to power down your computer as you are trying to save electricity this month. Simply follow the steps to hibernate your computer and go for your coffee. When you return turn your computer back on and like magic you can continue where you left off. You've also saved a few precious cents on that electricity bill. Give it a try. Since I discovered it a few years ago I rarely ever shut my computer down completely. // Frank
My daughter told me about the hibernate mode a few years ago Frank when I first got my 'puter and I love it. My computer tends to be on almost 24/7 as I need access to it for work as well as pleasure. Definately worth knowing about and saves a lot of wasted time in retyping. :-D
In addition to Hibernate, you can also suspend your computer. The computer does use more power during suspend than during hibernate, but much less than when the computer is on. I have my computer set to suspend after an hour of inactivity. Returning from suspend takes only 15 seconds or so.
Many people will get confused with the terminology of hibernate, suspend, standby or sleep. There are many different ways to activate one of the above power saving modes on different computers. And different computers or operating systems may interpret these power saving modes differently. In general, there are three different levels of power saving modes: Level 1. Turn screen and hard drive off. Uses less power than full mode. Level 2. Turn computer off (screen, hardrive, CPU, GPU, fan) but leave a trickle of power to keep RAM intact. Level 3. Copy entire contents of RAM to hard drive, and turn computer completely off. Uses no power at all. In Win95, 98, standby is level 1, suspend is level 2, hibernate (or sleep) is level 3. In XP and Vista, Stadby is level 2, the same thing as suspend. Level 1 can be achieved by automatic power saving configuration in display settings (under Screensaver tab). Some keyboards feature a "Sleep" hot key. To put your computer into hibernation, simply press the key (usually with a Moon icon). Some computer allows you to click the power button to put the computer into hibernation. Click the power button to awake the computer. Please note, if you press the power button and hold it for a few seconds without releasing, you will turn off the computer. XP/Vista laptops will go into hibernation when you close the lid. Old laptops just go to standby or suspend. However, some application or network/device dirver may probit the computer to go into hibernation, and if your laptop is on battery, you will lose your unsaved work. Pay attention to the LED indicator and make sure that your laptop is really in sleep mode. Hibernation requires longer time to prepare for obvious reason.
Or, you could just pop up to the apple menu and choose "sleep"... o wait, that only works on a mac *insert evil grin here*
The only thing I hate about the hibernate is that the computer sometimes does not come back out of hibernation and I have to hold the power button down on my laptop to turn it off and back on. Needless to say any work not saved gets lost.
